Arlington, VA – 05/10/2011 – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today hailed a new era in power consumption transparency for consumers: new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requirements call for removable, detailed yellow-and-black labels that disclose the product’s estimated annual energy cost to be attached to all TVs manufactured after May 10th.

CEA contributed to the FTC rulemaking leading to these first-ever energy use labels for electronics, which are expected to appear on new TVs at retail stores in the coming weeks – perhaps even sooner if they work their way through the supply chain quickly. The FTC’s “EnergyGuide” rules, which also cover TVs sold on the Internet beginning July 11th, call for the primary disclosure on the label to be the product’s estimated annual energy cost, with comparative information on similarly sized TVs.

“We applaud the implementation of this new program. Not only will it assist consumers interested in energy use in making purchasing decisions, but also it will further demonstrate the relatively low power consumption of today’s digital televisions,” said Douglas Johnson, CEA’s vice president of technology policy. “CEA continues to support a variety of market-oriented, consumer-focused policies and initiatives that advance energy efficiency in consumer electronics but avoid the problems inherent in government-mandated limits and standards.”

In February, CEA released a comprehensive study of TV energy efficiency gains. The report, “Power Consumption Trends in Digital TVs Produced Since 2003,” found best-selling liquid crystal display models used 63 percent less energy in active power mode from 2003 to 2010 while plasma TV active power mode use declined 41 percent from 2008 to 2010.”

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org and www.Innovation-Movement.com.